Gov't Finds Child Hunger Rose 50% In 2007

[OhioChick]

Source: Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc./AP

Nearly 700,000 Went Hungry Last Year

POSTED: 4:21 pm EST November 17, 2008
UPDATED: 4:25 pm EST November 17, 2008

WASHINGTON -- New government figures show that almost 700,000 children went hungry in the United States at some point in 2007, up more than 50 percent from the year before to mark the highest point since 1998. And that's even before this year's sharp economic downtown, the Agriculture Department reported Monday.

The department's annual report on food security showed that during 2007 the number of children who suffered a substantial disruption in the amount of food they typically eat was more than double the 430,000 in 2006 and the largest figure since 716,000 in 1998.

Overall, the 36.2 million adults and children who struggled with hunger during the year was up slightly from 35.5 million in 2006. That was 12.2 percent of Americans who didn't have the money or assistance to get enough food to maintain active, healthy lives.

Almost a third of those, 11.9 million adults and children, went hungry at some point. That figure has grown by more than 40 percent since 2000. The government says these people suffered a substantial disruption in their food supply at some point and classifies them as having "very low food security." Until the government rewrote its definitions two years ago, this group was described as having "food insecurity with hunger."

The findings should increase pressure to meet President-elect Barack Obama's campaign pledge to expand food aid and end childhood hunger by 2015, said James Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, an anti-hunger group.



Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/health/18000875/detail.html

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Shameful.

While the suits at AIG go on their "retreats" paid for by the U.S. taxpayer.

[pitohui]

1. food costs too goddamn much

i skip meals myself just because i feel insulted by the prices -- of course, a child should never skip a meal and a family should never be put in that position where they have to ration FOOD

shameful indeed

another thing we can thank bushco for!

before katrina food was actually reasonably priced in louisiana but they used the storm to jack up the price and it has never been fairly priced again, just insane

[ben_meyers]

2. "largest figure since 716,000 in 1998"

What the hell was going on in 1998? We even had fewer people in this country then.

[OhioChick]

3. I have no idea...

Most that I knew of in 1998 were doing all right.

[sandnsea]

11. Minimum wage was at 52% of its historic value

I don't remember how long it had been since it was raised. They raise it in 1998. That's the only thing I can think of off the top of my head.

[Gormy Cuss]

12. IIRC this series of annual measures only began in the late '90s

and 1998 may be the first year the measurement as it stands now was used. Prior to the implementation of this survey the measure was so coarse that people who missed meals or ate less sometimes weren't reflected in poverty counts (good for politicians who like to tout how little poverty there is, bad for people who can't afford to buy or obtain enough food.) The new measure meant that more households were categorized as "food insecure." From 1998 forward in most years the number of households with food insecurity went down.

So it's not that something happened in 1998 as it is that the current method of calculating food security began about that time.

[DumpDavisHogg]

13. The Contract With America was going full-throttle in '98

That's the problem right there. Welfare "reform" and all that people-hating garbage.

Newt Gingrich is as much of a killer as Bush is, and needs to be put on trial for crimes against humanity.

[GinaMaria]

4. This is heartbreaking

the thought of any child going hungry, especially in this country violates our society. Pulling cans right now to donate to the local food pantry.

[celestia671]

5. And yet...

Our government can hand over 700 billion bucks to a bunch of idiots who can't run their banks!

[jeff30997]

8. Oh,they're not idiots...

They are cleaver bloodsucking greedy parasites.

[midnight]

6. This is to sad to realise how wrong our elected officials were in

voting for AIG to go on their "retreats" why the children of this country go hungry. We demand better.

[Azlady]

7. Oh boy...

Hungry children in our own country.. govt is too busy bailing out the rich guys to even care about our children, our future. Off to the foodbank.

Just as a side note.. do not know if you have Toys for Tots drives in your area, usually done by our brave U.S. Marines that are State side. They need help this year, bad... new, used, money, even a buck will help them provide toys and Holiday dinners to families in need.

Azlady

[jeff30997]

9. K&R

Those scumbags prefer to throw money out the window with this illegal war plus that

stupid $700 Million bailout rather than feed the kids.Bunch of heartless bastards.

[brentspeak]

10. Where's Phil Gramm to tell us that America has the "fattest poor people in the world"?